Paramedics say tornado took them on a wild ride
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NEEPAWA, Mantoba, Canada. -- Two Manitoba paramedics had an uplifting experience Friday evening when their ambulance was carried off the ground by what they believe was a tornado.

Joy Macsymic and Kim Forsman were transporting a non-urgent patient to Neepawa Hospital when the ambulance they were riding in was momentarily suspended in the air.

"The tires went off the ground and then a second later we came back down with a loud thud and we were on the other side of the highway," said Macsymic. "I've never held the steering wheel as tightly as I was at that moment."

The incident occurred around 6:45 p.m. just north of Neepawa on Highway 5, about 175 km west of Winnipeg.

However, Environment Canada meteorologist Peter Spyker said no tornadoes were spotted on their radar.

Although not dismissing the women's claim, he said it's more likely that a fierce gust of wind travelling more than 100 kmh caused the commotion.

But the paramedics were sticking to their version of events.

"The wind was twirling around like a blender, the ambulance was shaking back and forth - it definitely wasn't a gust of wind," said Forsman.

Although they were aware of a severe weather warning issued by Environment Canada, the women said they weren't prepared for a twister. While Forsman rode with the patient in the back, Macsymic spotted flying debris as she drove along the road.

"The wind started blowing the ambulance sideways and I realized we must have been in a tornado right after we saw a 20-foot tree fly by us."

The storm came after one of Manitoba's hottest days of the year - Dauphin was the province's hot spot, hitting 34 C.

Warm temperatures gave way to turbulent weather conditions throughout much of southern Manitoba.